Benchmarking ambulance call-to-needle times for thrombolysis after myocardial infarction in Australia: a pilot study

Thrombolysis for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is of greatest benefit when treatment is commenced as soon as possible after symptom onset. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) recently set a benchmark recommending that eligible patients with AMI receive thrombolytic therapy less than 90 min after calling for medical assistance. The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of an urban emergency service to this benchmark. A secondary objective was to determine whether patients treated outside this time were at a greater risk of mortality